Events on Spacetime Diagrams

Small Group Activity: Events on Spacetime Diagrams

Theoretical Mechanics 2021

Students practice identifying whether events on spacetime diagrams are simultaneous, colocated, or neither for different observers. Then students decide which of two events occurs first in two different reference frames.

Small Group Activity schedule 5 min. description Student handout (PDF)
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Special Relativity Spacetime Diagrams Simultaneity Colocation

Media

Which pairs of events (if any) are simultaneous in the unprimed frame?
Which pairs of events (if any) are simultaneous in the primed frame?
Which pairs of events (if any) are colocated in the unprimed frame?
Which pairs of events (if any) are colocated in the primed frame?

For each of the figures, answer the following questions:
Which event occurs first in the unprimed frame?
Which event occurs first in the primed frame?

Keywords

Special Relativity Spacetime Diagrams Simultaneity Colocation

Learning Outcomes